Tupelo Music Hall is entering an exciting time a we change a few things to give you an even better experience in Londonderry! The next time you come to the venue, you are going to see some big changes in process!

First of all, we are moving the kitchen out of the venue and into the house as we take over the first floor of the house so that people can come in early, hang out, meet with friends, and get something to eat. This will not only give us some much needed room in the back of the venue but will eliminate a major heat source, allowing us to keep the room cooler in the Summer months. Anyone who’s been to a sold out show in July and August knows how hot it can get in there. This will also eliminate all kitchen noise. Our new kitchen will have a new in-house caterer offering a much different menu. I will share the new menu with you soon.

Once the project is completed, folks will check-into the house, not the venue, through the door located past the rocking chairs. Check-in will be earlier, allowing us to get people into the house before we open doors to the actual venue. No more waiting in the cold. Now you can meet up with friends before the show. This will also give us a cool space for meet and greets after the show and will be available for small rentals when you are having an event that you don’t necessarily want to use your house for.

Tupelo will remain a BYOB venue. We are not putting in a bar as part of our changes. You will still be able to purchase beer and wine at The Drinkery and bring it into the venue. Only now, you can come in early and hang out before the show at a table in the house with friends!

Volunteers Needed!
It’s been a long time since we’ve opened up our volunteer network to accept more volunteers. Because of these new changes and due to the fact that a few of our volunteers are either relocating or changing their career path, we are opening our volunteer list to accept a few more people who want to help out at the venue. If you are interested in volunteering, let me know and I will send you information. We expect volunteers to be able to work at least four shows a month. Shoot me an email and I will give you all the info on exactly what being a Tupelo volunteer entails. Thanks.

Our remodeling project is hopefully going to happen quickly and without any difficulties. I doubt it will affect any of our shows but, as anyone who has done construction knows, there’s always a bit of dust and chaos generated from remodeling. We hope to keep both at a minimum and roll-out our completed project by the first week of December. I will keep you updated on our progress as we work on these exciting changes.

New Bookings
January 3 RYAN MONTBLEAU
An exclusive solo acoustic performance with singer-songwriter and guitarist Ryan Montbleau, whose songs and vocal style have been described as a mesmerizing blend of 70’s funky R&B and stripped down blues song writing. A Massachusetts native, Montbleau has recorded several albums, toured nationally and has opened for several major artists including Martin Sexton, Ani DiFranco and Rodrigo y Gabriela. Listen

January 18 THE ALTERNATE ROUTES
The Alternate Routes’ name suits them well. They’re a band that’s never really fit in – in a good way. Without a definitive genre to reference or an established scene to rally behind them, they’ve been something of a rogue wave in an ocean of bands. They built a fan base the old fashioned way, by driving around the country in a big, white Ford Econoline van, winning crowds over one-person-at-a-time with solid, catchy songs and an explosive live show. Since their genesis in 2004, co-founders Tim Warren (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Eric Donnelly (lead guitar) have taken their group through the dizzying heights and frustrating lows of the modern music industry, and have learned some valuable lessons along the way.
Listen

About the author

Scott Hayward is a Derry native who graduated from Pinkerton Academy and Wake Forest University, where he majored in English. While working as a financial planner and looking for investment property in 2004, he came across a building for sale in Londonderry. Then called The Muse, Hayward attended a performance and knew immediately what he wanted to do. After purchasing and doing a major remodeling of the facility, while learning as much as possible about the music business, he opened Tupelo Music Hall on September 11, 2004.
Tupelo has since become a huge hit with both music lovers and the many artists who take the stage. The venue has received much critical acclaim and has grown each year in number of performances, attendance, and revenue. Hayward credits the success of the venue to the guiding principles of the business; to present top-flight artists in an intimate and comfortable environment with excellent acoustics and first-class sound reproduction, and to provide a memorable experience for the audience and for the artist.
In October 2010, Hayward opened a second Tupelo Music Hall in White River Junction, Vermont, using the Londonderry model. He also operates Tupelo Venue Management, a company providing consulting, booking, and management services to other music venues.